To Charles Lyell 6 August [1861]1
2. Hesketh Crescent | Torquay
Aug. 6
My dear Lyell
Mr Bentham has sent me a spurless O. pyramidalis, which you & he picked up by a strange coincidence.2 As Bentham says he is going to leave his lodgings, I know not where to write & thank him. If you see him, please thank him.—3
But I write, also, to beg you, if you should stumble on another, send it in a little tin cannister; for the specimen was so utterly smashed as to be useless.4
The specimen to be of use to me shd. have lower flowers & old & half-withered; in this condition it would be highly useful.—
I fear, however, from what I could make out of the state of the flowers that they are irregular monsters.—5 I have written to Tenby in vain for this variety, which would be so useful to me.—6
Ever yours | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Jackson, Benjamin Daydon. 1906. George Bentham. London: J. M. Dent. New York: E. P. Dutton.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
Summary
Bentham has sent a damaged spurless Orchis pyramidalis; asks CL to send another. Fears they are irregular monsters. [See Orchids, pp. 47–8.]
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3227
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
- Sent from
- Torquay
- Source of text
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Bentham Correspondence, Vol. 3, Daintree–Dyer, 1830–1884, GEB/1/3: f. 698)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3227,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3227.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 9